Remote Shutter Release for Fuji X-E2 (and others)

Anyone who reads my blog has probably noticed that I take a lot of pictures of myself while practicing different lighting setups (sorry, I know you’re probably tired of seeing my mug around here) and although I have had success using the built in self timer on my X-E2, it does have its limitations. First off, I have to switch to manual focus and try to position myself perfectly for my focus point every time which is harder than you’d think, especially when running to beat the timer! And a lot of times I want to compare things like a certain setup with and without a reflector for example, but the self timer is only good for one shot, so my position may change a little while resetting the camera, skewing the results. And finally, sometimes I actually DO want to be in the picture. When I want to take a family portrait I really don’t want to be messing around with the camera, especially when managing my kids.

With that in mind, I decided to find a way to remotely release the shutter and rev’d up Google to see what I needed to get to make that happen. Unfortunately I really wasn’t able to find a definitive answer on a no-frills remote shutter release. Sure there are Fuji solutions out there, but I didn’t want a corded shutter release, it has to be wireless! I also didn’t need any of the high end devices that offer series shooting, interval settings, etc. Just a basic shutter release that allows for focusing. I also didn’t want to spend a bunch of money on a piece of gear I might not use very often once the rumored X-E2 firmware update happens that allows remote triggering from my iPhone.

Shockingly, I wasn’t able to find anything that fit the bill, so off to the forums to ask what others were using, but turned up nothing there either for my particular camera, but I did get a few recommendations for triggers that people liked for some other manufacturers so I thought I might try them and see if they might work with my camera. I headed over to Amazon and started looking through the reviews and finally found a trigger that I wasn’t sure was going to work or not, but did fit the requirements of what I needed. I wound up ordering the Yongnuo RF-603 C1 2.4GHz Wireless Flash Trigger/Wireless Shutter Release Transceiver Kit since it looked like it might work for me, and it was dang cheap. And the best thing? It’s also a flash trigger! So if Fuji does update my firmware so I can use my iPhone I’m not left with some gear I don’t use. So I took the leap and placed my order. Two days and four AAA batteries later I had them in hand and was ready to see if these flash triggers would work as a shutter release for my Fuji.

Yeah baby! I set the first one up, powered it on, and put it in the hot shoe of my X-E2. I took the included cable and plugged one end into the trigger and the other end into the “mic/remote” socket of the camera. Next I fired up the other trigger and finally the camera. I pointed it an object that was clearly out of focus and gently pushed the Yongnuo’s trigger button until I heard the gratifying “beep” of the autofocus’ confirming its lock on its subject. A slight pressure increase on the button and the shutter snapped the picture. Oh yea, it works!

I spent the next hour with the camera on a tripod taking headshots of myself trying out a new background/4 light setup I’d been thinking about and every shot was perfect…well, at least in focus and triggered remotely.

Two side notes probably worth mentioning. The Yongnuo’s shutter release buttons are a little mushy for the “first stage” of the button push, which is the equivalent to pushing the camera’s shutter release button halfway down. The “second stage” where you push harder to take the picture is nice and positive, so it does take a little practice to get the feel of it. Other than that, the system works perfectly well and ticks all of the boxes for me so I’ll get it added to my recommended gear list article, The Gear to Get Started in Flash Photography. Also, if you have other flash triggers that work off of the hotshoe slot, just plug it into the Yongnuo’s hotshot slot. Although a little odd looking, it will pass through the signal to the other flash trigger to trip it’s flashes without incident.